Philosophy is often perceived as lofty and abstract, but it can be a useful tool for self preservation. Philosophy encourages deep reflection on your values, beliefs, and any principles that may guide your decisions. This process strengthens your mental foundation, which can in turn make your views more solid and well considered.
Engaging with philosophical media and ideas helps you clarify and defend your beliefs. It may also make you reevaluate various views you hold. When you understand why you think a certain thing or a certain way, it is harder for that opinion to sway. It is harder to disprove your view if you know exactly what it is. You become more resilient to societal pressure, misinformation, or peer pressure. In this way, philosophy acts as protection against adopting views uncritically.
A belief Sam Hackett holds close is “I will always fight for a kid’s wellbeing.”
However, philosophy is not just about solidifying your preexisting beliefs, it is equally about flexibility. When you explore diverse perspectives challenging your own, you may expand your knowledge. While it is important to know what you stand for, it is equally important to know what you stand against. Debating these topics may become easier if you know exactly what you’re up against. This mental flexibility is vital for adapting to new ideas and circumstances. Philosophy teaches that reevaluating your stance is not a weakness, that it is a strength.
Sam was asked if she thinks she could see the other side of her belief, “I could, but, personally, I think that if a younger kid is in danger then I’m gonna help cause they’ve lived less of their life and they deserve to live more.”
This duality of both stability and flexibility within your views gives you tools to not only defend them, but also shift them if you so choose. It can allow you to engage with others in a more effective manner, using logical arguments and reasoning to present alternate perspectives.
Philosophical ideas can empower you with both mental stability and adaptability. It offers a framework of self defense in a world of ever shifting ideas, ensuring that you remain grounded in your beliefs but not closing off your mind to the growth and transformation around you.
